Bituminous burner head



' Feb. 19,1946. L DD 2,395,226

BITUMINOUS BURNER HEAD Filed July 13, 1945 v} 3'$heetsSheet l INVENTOR lieu 1. O. LADIJ (ATTORNEYSW ,1946. R. o. 'LADD 2,395,226

BITUMINOUS BURNER HEAD INVENTOR fi'l. O. LAun M01. x QIQ ATTORNEY!- Patented Feb. 19, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,395,226 BITUMINOUS BURNER HEAD Reuel Osmond Ladd, Elmira, N. Y. 7

Application July 13, 1945, Serial No. 604,741

18 Claims.

My invention relates to bituminous burner heads for heating units and the like, and the principal object thereof is to provide a headfor efdciently and economically burning pulverized or inexpensive fine or waste bituminous coal of any grade or type, which coal is fed into the burner head by means of a screw flight or the like and discharged upwardly from the head in the form of a hollow cylindrical column between a central rotating draftintensifier cylinder and an outer rotating annular draft intensifier cap, the cap and cylinder rotating in I opposite directions; means being provided in the cylinder and cap for admitting air through the cylinder and cap to the adjacent inner and outer portions of the cylindrical column of coal; means being provided for maintaining spacing between the faces of the column of coal and the cylinder and cap; and means being also provided for evenly distributing the coal fed upwardly around and between the cylinder and cap; my construction thereby providing draft intensifiers at the inner and outer walls ofthe column of coal so that the coal which is constantly forced upwardly between the cylinder and cap will be completely consumed at the upper end of the coal column, the ash dropping over the outer side of the cap; my invention thus making it possible to economically and efiiciently burn pulverized or fine bituminous coal.

Another object of my invention is to provide a burner of the above type in which water is sprayed into the mass of coal at the bottom of the cylindrical column, to furnish the required amount of moisture to the coal particles o that when same reach the point of combustion and become heated, the vapor and steam generated thereby will unite with the carbon and gases released by, combustion of the coal, and will produce a. smokeless, gas-like flame of high heat intensity.

7 Other minor objects of the invention will be hereinafter set forth. I I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, which'illustrate one practical embodiment thereof to enable others familiar with the art to adopt and use the same; and will summarize inthe claims the novel features of construction, and novel combinations of parts, for which protection is desired.

Figure 1 is an elevational view of my novel bituminous burner head.

. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of th'e base burner head, detached.

- Fig. 3 is a vertical section throughthe burner headontheline 3- 3, Fig. 1.1; i v

of the Cal Fig. 4. is a top plan view, partly in section, of the burner head.

Fig. 5 i a transverse section on the line 5-5, Fig. 4.

As shown, my bituminous burner head preferably comprises a base I, of general circular shape,

having an outer wall Id contracting towards its lower closed end lc, a shown more particularly in Figs. 3 and 5; and an inner wall lb, said walls being separated or spaced apart at their upper ends.

One side of outer wall la has an opening Id of substantially rectangular shape, as shown, adapted to communicate with a duct (not shown) leading from a blower which introduce air into the base between the walls la and lb, for the purpose hereinafter described. Diametrically pposite the opening id is a coal inlet. le of cylindrical shape through which extends a motor driven shaft ll. Opposite the end of shaft II is a bearing lli (Fig. 3) in an upward extension of base lo; and shaft ll terminates in a yoke Ila fixed to a shaft lfla, journaled in bearing l0, said yoke lla maintaining shaft Illa in the bearing ll) with the help of the gear 9 on its outer end, which gear 9 is retained thereon'by means of a washer Ill) and nut llc, as shown in Fig. 3, to maintain shaft Illa from axial movement in said bearing Ill. On shaft I l is a spiral conveyor flight l0 for feeding coal from a hopper (not shown) into the base I in the direction of the arrow A (Fig. 3).

The inner end of feed duct la is open at its top and registers with an upwardly flaringwall If (Figs. 3 and 5) directing the mass of coal fed through duct le upwardly and outwardly, the

upwardly inclined walls If connecting the outlet of duct le with the lower edge of inner wall lb of base I throughout the major portion of its circumference. At the inner lower end of outer wall lb is an annular shoulder lg, for the purpose hereinafter described. I

Seating upon and bridging the walls la, lb of the base I is a rotatable annular cap member 6 whose walls are of inverted U-shaped crosssection, the inner wall lint overlying and-contacting the inner face of inner wall lb of base I with its lower end disposed slightly above the annular shoulder lg as shown in Fig. 3, while the outer wall By of cap 6 has an enlarged bead at its lower end provided with an annular recess conforming with and receiving in slightly spaced relation the upper edge of outer wall Ia of base I.

Within the cap 6 on the inner wall 62: thereof is an annular ring gear I having teeth extending from its lower face, ring gear 'l being disposed slightly above the top of inner wall lb of base I and serving as a means for rotating cap 6. In order to assist in rotatably supporting cap 6 on base I, I provide idler gears or rollers 20 engaging the teeth or underside of ring gear 1, as shown more particularly in Figs. 3 and 5, said gears bein carried by stub shafts having enlarged beads journaled in T slots 2| (Fig. 3) extending downwardly in the upper end of the inner wall Ib of base I at spaced intervals, and preferably maintaining a slight clearancebetween the lower end of the. walls of the cap and the upper ends of the walls Ia, lb of the base.

Extending radially inwardly from the wall lb of base I, and preferably forming. an integral part thereof, is a horizontally disposed bracketv I'm (Figs. 2 and 3) supporting a central casting Ih hereinafter described. In the upper portion of bracket Im is journaled a shaft 4 above and parallel with a flight shaft I I, said shaft carrying on its outer end a large gear 8 meshing with gear 9 on flight shaft II, said gear 8 also meshing with the teeth on the ring gear I, which is carried by the cap 6, whereby rotation of the flight shaft I I will rotate the cap 6 through the gears 9-8 and annular ring gear 1. Gear 8 is maintained on shaft 4 by means of a washer 8a and a nut I4 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Preferably the idler rollers or gears 28. are spaced the same angular distance apart at each side of the shaft 4 of gear 8, thus forming a threepoint suspension for cap 6. However, a greater number of idler rollers or gears 20 may be provided, as desired.

At the outer end of the bracket Im is a casting In of hollow inverted cone shape, terminating substantially in the plane of the shoulder IQ, and within the head In on shaft 4 is a beveled pinion keyed thereto so as to rotate with said shaft. Seated upon the top of the casting Ih is a bearing spider 2 (Fig. 3). secured thereto in any desired manner in fixed position, said spider 2 having a vertical bore therein for a shaft I3 having at. its upper and connected with a. central rotatable intensifier cylinder 3, shaft I3 carrying at its lower end a beveled pinion I2: meshing with the beveled pinion 5, whereby the cylinder 3. will be rotated by and with the shaft 4 but in the opposite direction from the rotation of cap Ii, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4;

Cylinder 3 is hollow and closed at its upper end, while its lower end rotatably engages the outer periphery of bearing spider 2- and the top of the casting lit, the cylinder having an inner open spider 3a; (Fig. 3). provided with a non-circular bore receiving the correspondingly shaped upper end of shaft, I3, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby rotation of shaft. I 3 will rotate cylinder 3. therewith.

By the above construction, forced air is free to circulate from the interior of casting- I12. below shaft. 4 up around the gears 5 and I2, past the spiders 2 and 3a into the interior of cylinder 3 which as stated is closed at its upper end. An air duct 26a extends through the bracket Im below the journals of shaft 4. and connects the lower end of the casting I h with the space between walls I aIb of base. I, as shown in Fig. 3. Similar ducts 26b, shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, connect the interior of casting In with the space between the walls Ia-Ib of the base, ducts 26b being preferably disposed below the idler rollers or gears, 20. asshown n. Figs.- 4 and 5. although they may be differently spaced, if: desired. Thus the air forcedinto opening, Id. of: the base may circulate freely around;

the space between walls Ia-Ib of the base, through the ducts Na-26b and into the casting Ih, said air passing upwardly into the interior of hollow cylinder 3.

On the exterior of the rotating cylinder 3 is a spiral rib I5 extending throughout the height thereof, and in the sides of the cylinder 3 between the convolutions of rib I5 are air discharge holes 23 permitting the air within the cylinder to pass therethrough into the adjacent surface of the cylindrical mass, of coal adjacent said cylinder. a space being maintained between the mass of coal and the rotating cylinder 3 by the action of the spiral rib I5. At the lower end of cylinder 3. arev radial lugs 3a: adapted when rotating with cylinder 3. to enter the mass of coal adjacent the base of the cylinder and assist in evenly distributing or spacing the coal as it is fed upwardly around the lower periphery of said cylinders.

On the inner wall 6x of the rotating cap 6 opposite the lugs 30: of cylinder 3 are corresponding radial lugs 61) for serving the same purpose of assisting in distributing and spacing th mass of coal fed upwardly through the feed duct 3e. when positioned adjacent the inner wall 61: of the cap. In the inner wall, 62: of cap 6 are a series of holes 25 above ring gear I permitting forced air within the under side of cap 6 to pass inwardly into contact with the adjacent surface of the cylindrical column of coal and between certain of the holes 25 are inwardly extending slanting ribs 6r which may be. slanted in any direction (Fig. 3) preferably of arcuate form serving to maintain a slight spacing between the column of coal and the inner wall 6:0 of the rotating cap.

In order to obtain perfect. combustion, water is introduced in the form of a controlled spray I8a (Fig. 3) located at the bottom. of the castin Ih fed through a valved pipe. I'I whereby substantially each particle, of coal may receive its required amount of moisture so when the coal particle reaches; its point of combustion, and is heated, and the vapor and steam generated will unite with the carbon and gases released y the production of combustion, and a. smokeless gas flame of high. heat intensity is produced.

In operation In operation, a blower (not-shown)v directsair into the opening Id of base I, and; coal is forced into the base by the. screw flight. I9. through feed duct, Ie, the coal being then forced upwardl between the centrally rotating intensifier cylinder 3 and the annular outside intensifier cap 6, the cap and cylinder rotating in opposite directions. Some, of the air forced into base I passes through the ducts 26a and 26b into the casting lb. and up past the gears 5 and I2 and the spiders 2 and 3a in the direction of the; arrows in Figs. 3 and 5 into the interior of cylinder 3 from whence the same is discharged through. holes 23 into the. adjacent portions of the cylindrical column of coal emerging from the topof the burner head. During operatiomthecylinder 3 is. rotated from the conveyor shaft II through the, gears 9-4, shaft 4 and beveled gears, 5 and I2, and shaft I3, while the cap 6 is rotated: from shaft II, from the gears 9 -8 and the annular ring gear I, the members 6 and 3 rotating in opposite. directions. Thev air under cap 6 also is discharged through holes 25 of the rotating cap 6 into the-adjacent, portions of the column of" coal emerging; from the top, of the burner head.

The air emer ing from the. holes 23; of cylinder 3 and holes 25 of cap 6 enters the. adjacent portions of the column of coal, while the rotating ribs l and GT create and maintain definite spacings between the vertical draft intensifier cylinder 3 and intensifier cap 6, thus maintaining a channel for the air emerging from holes 23 and 25 so that same may come in complete contact with the entire inner and outer surfaces of the'coal column, the lugs 6p and 3.1: on the cap 6 and cylinder 3 extending into the coal column and distributing the coal evenly around the entire circumference of the column. The air from the ports 23 and 25 thus provides for complete combustion at the entire inner andouter surfaces of the coal column. As the coal is constantly forced upwardly by flight l9 between the cylinder 3 and cap 6, it assumes a cylindrical shape of a definite thickness and becomes completely consumed at the top of its travel, the ashes falling over the outer side of the cap 6.

I do not limit my invention to the exact form shown in the drawings, for obviously changes may be made therein within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A powdered fuel burner comprising a base having spaced inner and outer walls open at the top; a feed duct therein terminating in an upwardly flaring conical wall connecting with the lower end of the inner wall; an annular cap having walls of inverted U-shaped cross-section rotatably mounted on the base and bridging the inner and outer walls of the base, the inner wall of the cap having a series of air discharge openings therein; a hollow substantially inverted conical central member in the base open at its upper end and disposed within the upwardl flaring conical wall of the base; a hollow cylinder having a closed upper end and open lower end rotatably journaled on said central member coaxially with the cap; said cylinder having openings therethrough; means for rotating the cap and cylinder; said base having an opening for receiving air under pressure introduced thereinto passing between the walls thereof; and means for passing air from the said space in the base into the central member, whereby the air will be discharged through the holes in the cap and cylinder into the adjacent faces of the column of fuel emerging from the top of the burner between the cap and cylinder.

2. In a burner as set forth in claim 1, said inner wall of the cap having inclined inwardly project ing ribs disposed between certain of said openings; and having radially disposed mixing lugs adjacent its lower end.

3. In a burner as set forth in claim 1, said cylinder having a spiral rib on its external wall; and having radially disposed mixing lugs adjacent its lower end.

4. In a burner as set forth in claim 1, a spray head at the lower end of the central member adapted to emit water into the fuel adjacent said opening; and a water duct leading to said spray head.

5. A powdered fuel burner comprising a base having spaced inner and outer walls open at the top; a duct in said base having a shaft therein carrying a spiral flight for feeding fuel inwardly of the base, said duct having an opening at its inner end terminating in an upwardly flaring conical wall connecting with the lower end of the inner wall; an annular cap having walls of inverted U-shaped cross-section rotatably mounted on the base and bridging the inner and outer wall of the base, the inner wall of the cap having a series of air discharge openings therein; a hollow substantially inverted conical central member in the base open at its upper end and disposed within the upwardly flaring conical wall of the base; a hollow cylinder having a closed upper end and open lower end rotatably journaled on said central member coaxially with the cap; said cylinder having openings therethrough; means. for rotating the cap and cylinder in opposite directions by said flight shaft; said base having an opening for receiving air under pressure introduced thereinto passing into the space between the walls thereof; and means for passing air from the said space in the base into the central member, whereby the air will be discharged through the holes in the cap and cylinder into the adjacent faces of the column of fuel emerging from the top of the burner between the cap and cylinder.

6. In a burner as set forth in claim 5, said inner wall of the cap having inclined inwardly projecting ribs disposed between certain of said openings; and having radially disposed mixing lugs adjacent its lower end.

'7. In a burner as set forth in claim 5, said cylinder having a spiral rib on its external wall; and having radially disposed mixing lugs adjacent its lower end.

8. In a burner as set forth in claim 5, said rotating means comprising a second shaft disposed above and parallel with the flight shaft; a pinion on the first shaft; a gear on the second shaft meshing with said pinion; a third shaft disposed coaxially of the cylinder; intermeshing bevel gears within the central member on the second and third shafts; an annular ring gear carried by the cap and disposed above and meshing with the gear on the second shaft.

9. In a burner as set forth in claim 5, said rotating means comprising a second shaft bracket disposed above and parallel with the flight shaft; a pinion on the first shaft; a gear on the second shaft meshing with said pinion; a third shaft disposed coaxially of the cylinder; intermeshing bevel gears within the central member on the second and third shafts; an annular ring gear carried by the cap and disposed above the upper end of the inner wall of the base and meshing with the gear on the second shaft; and idler gears journaled in the inner wall of the base and meshing with the ring gear, said idler gears and the said gear on the second shaft supporting the cap by a three-point suspension.

10. In a burner as set forth in claim 5, said air admitting means comprising ducts connecting the space between the walls of the base and the interior of the said central member.

11. In a burner as set forth in claim 5, a spray head at the lower end of the central member adapted to emit water into the fuel adjacent said opening; and a valved water duct leading to said spray head.

12. A powdered fuel burner comprising a base having spaced inner and outer walls open at the top, a duct in said base having a shaft therein carrying a spiral flight for feeding fuel inwardly of the base, said duct having an upward opening in its inner end disposed substantially centrally of the base; an upwardly flaring conical wall in the base connecting the opening with the lower end of the inner wall; an annular cap having walls of inverted U-shaped cross-section rotatably mounted on the base and bridging the inner and outer walls thereof, the inner wall of the cap above the inner wall of the base having a series of air discharge openings therein; a hollow substantially inverted conical central member in the base supported by a bracket extending from the inner wall thereof. said :castlng :being disposed within the upwardly flaring conical wall :of the base; ;a hollow cylinder .havingaclosed .upperaend rotatably dournaled :on said central member 4coaxially with the cap; said cylinderlhaving openingsitherethrough meanszforrotatingthe capand cylinder in opposite directions shy-said flightshaft; said basehaving an opening for receiving air under pressure :into the space between the walls thereof; and means for-passing air fem the .said space in the base into the central members, whereby the air will be discharged through 'the holes in the cap and cylinder into the adjacent faces :of the column of 'fuel zemergingfrom the top of the burner between the cap and'cylinder.

:13. In :a burner as setiforth in :claim :12, said inner wall of the cap having inclined rinwardly projecting ribs disposed :between certain of said openings; and .having radially disposed mixing lugs adjacent its vlower end.

.14. In :a burner as set forth .in claim .12, said cylinder having a spiral rib on itsexternal wall; and having radially disposed mixing lugs adjacent its lower end.

15. 'In a 'burner as set forth in claim 12, said rotating means comprising a second shaft disposed above and parallel with the flight shaft; a pinion'on the first shaft; a gear on the second shaft meshing with said pinion; a third shaft disposed coaxially of thee-cylinder; intermeshing bevel gears within the central member on the second and third shafts; an annular ring gear carried by the capand disposed above and mesh- 'ingwith the gear on the second shaft.

'16. In a burner as set forth in claim l2,-said bracket being adisposed above and parallel with thespiral flight; ansecond shaft Journaled in said bracket; and said rotating means comprising a pinion-on :the first shaft; agear on the second shaftmeshing with said pinion; said pinion and gear beingdisposed within the space between the innertand outer walls of the base; .a third shaft disposed :coaxially of the cylinder; intermeshing bevel gearing-within the central member on the second and third shafts; an annular ring gear carried :by the cap and disposed above the upper end of the inner wall :of the base and meshing with'the gearonthe second shaft; and idler gears journaledin fF-slotsrin the inner wall of thebase and meshing with the ring gear,said.idler gears and -=the =gearon the second shaftsupporting the cap and being evenly spaced apart around the inner wall of the .base.

17. In a burner as set forth in claim .12, said air admitting :means comprising a duct extending through said bracket connecting the space between the walls of the base and the interior of the said central member, the upper end of the casting 'being open :and communicating directly with the open lower end of the cylinder; and other ducts connecting the space between the walls of the base with the casting, said other ducts and the said bracket being evenly spaced apart around the :inner wall of the base.

18. ,Inabnmer asset forthin claim 12, a spray ahead at the {lower end of the central member adapted toemit water into the fuel adjacent said opening; and a valved water duct leading to said spray lhead.

REUEL OSMOND LADD. 

